1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to electric storage batteries, and more particularly, to a container for thin metal film battery cells.
2. Discussion
Thin metal film (TMF) battery technology provides a compact high power battery cell. Cells of this type are well known and their construction and manufacture have been described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,494,800; 5,045,086; 5,047,300; 5,198,313 and 5,368,961 the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. A thin metal film battery cell includes thin metal film plates sealed within a sealed cell container which is valve regulated. The cells include absorptive glass-mat (AGM) separator technology in an electrolyte starved system. The thin metal film plates are made from very thin lead foil approximately about 0.005 inches thick, pasted with an active material forming a pasted plate approximately about 0.012 inches thick. The plates are spiral wound with separator material, and terminations are cast-on or soldered to the ends of the spiral roll. The roll is encapsulated in a container which is filled with electrolyte and then sealed except for the vent. The performance characteristics of thin metal film cells include a high power/weight ratio and rapid recharge capability.
In the present state of the art, TMF cells are individually packaged and sealed in plastic containers. These cells are then electrically joined in series to make the TMF battery. While the individual packaging of TMF cells is acceptable for single celled batteries or multiple celled batteries used in environments where the structural integrity of the cells is not of great concern, it is desirable to provide greater structural integrity for serially connected TMF cells. The prior art has failed to adequately address this need.